


Saving You My Deception

by TwinKats



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, 幽☆遊☆白書 | YuYu Hakusho: Ghost Files
Genre: Eventual OC characters, Gen, Insanity, M/M, Multi, OOC characters, Very crackish in the beginning, obscure canon characters - Freeform, slight AU differences, will get serious as time goes on, world building
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-04-15
Updated: 2014-03-02
Packaged: 2018-01-14 10:14:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1262509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwinKats/pseuds/TwinKats
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This wasn't how it was supposed to be! I was supposed to escape, not bleed to death! A blood-sister, an uncle that tried to kill you, all these lies...it wasn't meant to be this way! This isn't what I wanted when I told you to run!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Beginning to Every Tale

**Author's Note:**

> PLEASE NOTE THIS WORK HAS A CO-AUTHOR NAMED RUNE-RUIN who is not currently a member of AO3. You can find Rune's profile and stories on FFN. I've been slowly moving stories to AO3, and now I'm shifting this one over as well.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The start of a tale, almost as old as time. It begins with death, and reincarnation, and death yet again.

_This...this is all wrong. Everything is all...wrong. We had a plan; we stuck to the plan...but then...I was so_ _**stupid** _ _! Everything got messed up! I was too_ _**arrogant** _ _! How could I have thought I could escape? That I would survive_ _**that?** _ _What was I_ _**thinking?** _

_...heh, maybe you were right. Maybe I really had nothing up in this head of mine, but...I_ _**swear** _ _I will make it right. Somehow I will fix this._

* * *

"Kuronue, you're lagging behind!" Kurama called out, a smile dancing across pale lips. Kuronue rolled his violet-blue eyes in response.

"Not all of us are gifted runners, fox," he replied good naturedly. "Get me in the air and we'll see who's faster!"

Silver fox ears twitched as a laugh bubbled up from the thief. Under Kurama's arm, clasped tightly, was the mirror they had just stolen. Slightly behind him Kuronue smirked and took a quick leap, landing close to Kurama, never breaking their pace.

"You'd think the guards would have caught us by now," the bat said.

"Of course, we're not even traveling at full speed; how out of shape they must be," Kurama jested, tearing a laugh from Kuronue this time.

"Judging by their reactions it was as if they had never seen a thief before!" was the quip response and Kurama joined in the laughing, but all amusement faded when the chain of the pendant around Kuronue's neck snapped.

Instantly the bat thief's head jerked towards the jeweled amulet that flew past his shoulder. Cursing the dark haired demon whirled around and darted towards the falling amber pendant.

Kurama paused, noting Kuronue's sudden change in direction, and asked, "Kuronue?"

"My pendent!" the thief replied.

"Leave it!" Kurama ordered but Kuronue shook his head, hand reaching out as he yelled, "I need it!" back towards the fox.

Thin, pale fingers grasped tightly around the amber pendant just above a small thicket of grass and, before either Kurama or Kuronue knew it, a trap was sprung.

"Gagh!"

"Kuronue!" Kurama whirled around, silver hair flying as he made to move towards his partner but froze, golden eyes wide in shock.

Kuronue coughed, a wet, hacking sound that was barely hidden by the sound of a rainfall of blood. The bat winced; one of the bamboo spikes had hit an artery judging by the mess-not that the few that passed through his chest were anything to laugh at.

Kurama regained his wits rather quickly and made to dart forward again, once more calling his partner's name but Kuronue interrupted.

"Run!" he coughed out-the thundering sound of the guards footsteps ringing loudly in his ears.

"But-"

"The guards are coming! Run!"

Kurama stood frozen; half of him wanted to listen to his partner, the other half screamed to pull him to safety. Molten gold orbs met with violet-blue and Kuronue spoke, tone oddly hypnotizing.

"Forget about me! You need to save yourself, Kurama! RUN!"

Before Kurama could even register it, he turned and darted away.

A single tear fell from one golden eye as he raced off, somehow knowing that he would never see Kuronue again. All because of a fucking pendent.

* * *

_Years later..._

In a small hospital just outside Godric's Hollow James Potter paced back and forth; standing along the wall looking amused was his best friend Sirius Black. His other friend, Remus Lupin, was nervously sipping a cup of hot chocolate while the fourth member of their little group, Peter Pettigrew, sat on a chair, twisting his hands.

"Jamesy everything's gonna be okay," Sirius teased lightly.

"But what if something happens?" James demanded. "What if he's stillborn or Lily faces complications or-"

"Prongs are you a wizard or are you a wizard," Sirius stated.

"Sirius that makes no sense," Remus pipped up and Sirius sent the werewolf a mock-glare before sniffing snootily.

"It makes total sense," was the response.

"Both of you just  _shut it!_ " James shrieked and the two fell silent, staring at the messy haired young man in slight surprise. Hazel eyes were a tad crazed as they darted between his friends and the door that led towards the hospital rooms-one where James' wife, Lily, was given birth. It was when Sirius was about to open his mouth that the door James had once more turned to opened and a young medi-witch greeted the quartet with a smile.

"James Potter?" she asked softly and James immediately started towards her, worries at the tip of his tongue as she continued, "Your wife is fine and has given birth to a healthy baby boy. You and your chosen godparent are allowed to see her and the child now so-"

The minute 'allowed to see' had left the young medi-witches mouth James tore past her; Sirius gave the witch a slightly flirtatious smile, said, "Excuse him, love; first time parent jitters and all that," and promptly raced after the new father.

Sirius slipped into the room where Lily, James, and their child were. He noted James reverently holding his son and Lily's glowing smile and with a smile of his own he asked as he walked towards his friend, "Am I allowed to see my godson?"

James looked up sharply and smiled, carefully handing his son over to Sirius as he said, "This is Harry, Sirius. My son."

Gently Sirius gathered Harry into his arms and smiled down at the little tyke only to blink blue-grey eyes in surprise; surprise that was quickly masked.

"Hullo there pup," Sirius said with the slightest hints of a smirk. "I'm your godfather, Sirius Black."

Vibrant green eyes with bare hints of violet-blue among them stared up at Sirius unwavering before the little boy let out a soft sound and gave him a weak, newborn smile.

The Black Heir knew in that instant that his deductions were correct; little Harry James Potter was not, and never would be, human.

* * *

_Three months later..._

"Regulus I'm not kidding!" Sirius cried, throwing his hands up. "Lily and James' kid is a pup."

Violet eyes rolled in slight annoyance as Regulus turned his head to view his older brother.

"Brother I have told you not to call me Regulus," the younger Black replied, calmly tucking a few strands of his long hair behind his ear. "Regulus is dead."

"To the normal world yes, but to me no," Sirius replied bluntly. "We're a Murder, Regulus. I won't stop using your name even if you've 'died' and you should damn well-"

" _Sirius!_ " Regulus snapped, slamming his palm down onto the table. It exploded into splinters within seconds; Regulus froze in surprise.

"You're still having control issues," Sirius sighed, and Regulus' eyes narrowed.

"Just a little," he replied bitterly. "Please though stop calling me Regulus, Siri," the younger sighed after a minute, running his hand through his hair tiredly. "No one can know I'm still alive."

"Which is why you shall be making your way to the Veil," Sirius pointed out and Regulus scowled. "Oh don't give me that look," grey-blue eyes rolled. "You want to stay dead you're going to have to head to the Makai...although with your lack of control..."

"I'll be fine," Regulus bit out.

"Regulus..."

"Don't, Sirius," Regulus turned away. "I'm not Regulus; Regulus is dead. You know that." Seconds later Regulus' form shimmered before disappearing. Sirius faintly heard the door slam.

"Be safe," the elder Black sighed, "Karasu."

* * *

_July 31st 1981_

"Happy birthday, pup," Sirius greeted Harry with a wide grin.

"Sirinu!" Harry replied with a wide grin and Sirius winced internally while Lily sighed and James laughed.

"I don't understand why he keeps calling you Sirinu, Sirius," Lily said.

"Oh I know why," Sirius grumbled much too low for a normal humans hearing. "Stupid pup hams up the dog animagus."

Harry just laughed and said something in what James and Lily decided was baby-speak. Sirius recognized it for what it was though.

 _Makaian_.

" _Gaag-tu mama-su-na-e kekka._ "

_Well it serves you right mutt._

Sirius glared.

"I'm not a mutt," he snarled under his breath.

" _Su-na-e tatte-o._ "

 _You are_   _too_.

Eye twitching Sirius turned from his godson and back towards Lily and James.

"I was thinking about that whole  _Secret Keeper_  idea," he said, "and sadly everyone and their great-grandparent-inbred-ancestor  _knows_  how much we're like brothers..."

"You're proposing a switch?" Lily quarried and Sirius nodded.

"Peter is probably best then," James sighed. "Since Remus' loyalties are questionable as sad as I want to say...Peter's the most inconspicuous compared to you. Right, we'll preform the charm tonight then; thanks, Padfoot."

" _Naaan su-na-e krag-te-ma dusa._ "

_Now you've signed their death._

Sirius shot the glaring Harry a scowl with a reply under his breath.

" _E-an-us tenna-se-ma-tu krag-te-ma kusa-mo-da_."

_I know but their mind's made up._

* * *

_November 1st, 1981_

Sirius scrambled through the wreckage. He had honestly hoped he would at least have had enough of a warning to get James and Lily  _out_  before the snake-bastard showed up; Peter's disappearance was a straight off give-away but like usual he had shown up a tad late.

Too late this time; he hoped that at least the pup was fine.

Passing by James' body Sirius quickly swiped his hand over his now dead best-friend's eyes, closing them and softening the features to a more peaceful rest-like look. He moved on, tearing up the battered staircase towards the nursery. Their emergency portkey was there, just in case Peter  _was_ found and tortured, never mind the possibility that he'd betray them all.

Of course the upstairs floor had to be blocked entirely by the caved in roof, and the door to the nursery jammed shut.

Cursing under his breath Sirius ignored his wand, knowing that the stone would be too hard to move, and so with a twist of his hand, barely even touching the rubble, he called forth the one power he'd told himself that he would never use during his life as a wizard.

Well that life was practically over, the Black Heir amended silently as the stone and wood were completely vaporized, followed swiftly by the door to the nursery. He had no real ties to the wizarding world now anyway-after all his brother was in the Makai, and his only real friends dead (the other a traitor and the forth probably hated his guts right now believing  _him_  to be the traitor) and with what their son was...well, his ties were gone, end of story.

With the nursery door gone Sirius made his way into the nursery, pausing only to swipe his hand across Lily's open green,  _dead_  eyes and determined face. As he pulled away her eyes were closed and face relaxed into a more peaceful sleep-like state that James now wore downstairs.

Finally, after having his two friends appear more at rest, Sirius turned towards the glaring pup.

" _Shi-pa-no su-na-e jujo-kattko kekka_."

_Took you long enough mutt._

"Oh can it, pup," Sirius growled, picking up the small one-year old. "Once their minds are made up there's no changing them. At least I  _tried_  to get here before that snake-bastard."

" _Nezumi-temee_ ," Harry mumbled.

"He was present too?" Sirius murmured with a frown.

" _See-sa-to kim-ta kekka,_ " was the sharp retort.

_Chase him, mutt._

"You're still a pup," Sirius mumbled to the child.

" _Rein-ca-to, kekka_."

_Reincarnation, mutt._

"Stop calling me mutt, pup," Sirius growled.

" _Su-na-e tako ma-pu kekka-da._ "

_You sure act like a mutt._

"Can it," Sirius grumbled. "I'm a  _karasu._ "

" _Kekka._ "

_Mutt._

"Oh fuck you," was the mumbled response.

" _Eson-tamen-ni juudai._ "

_Not in a million years._

"Fine, I'll go after the stupid  _nezumi_  and leave you in the capable hands of a senile, manipulative old  _yagi_."

" _Temee._ "

"You asked for it."

" _Keizon._ "

_True._

"Glad you admit it."

" _E-an-us stufun-da-to-yo su-na-e shi-maketun maete kekka._ "

_I will tear you to pieces when bigger, mutt._

"I'm so scared."

" _Su-na-e shito tutten._

_You better be._

"Just for that I'm not going to pick you up once I'm done with the traitorous  _nezumi_."

" _Temee!_ "

"Oh look, there's Hagrid! Time to go."

" _Shiiman su-na-e medantuo-yo._ "

_I hate your guts._

"Love you too, pup. Love you too."

* * *

Two days later Harry found himself stuffed in a cupboard and Sirius carted off to Azkaban.

 _I am so going to get out of this and when I do I'm going to kick that bastards ass,_  was the thought that both shared.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't you just love family interactions? Any this idea was created by me (Twin Kats) and Rune-Ruin. Most of it ended up being Rune-Ruin's creation, I just had the skeleton XP either way it's a joint effort fic and I got the first chapter to write! I do so hope you enjoy it; whenever she has the time Rune-Ruin shall write up chapter two so...wait until then!
> 
> And yes, the entire "Makaian" language is just random letters strung together with dashes thrown in every now and then. Seriously. And I put that in myself...and for now the only for sure words are:
> 
>  **mutt** \- kekka  
>  **you** \- su-na-e  
>  **I** \- e-an-us  
>  **years/year** \- juudai  
>  **reincarnation** \- rein-ca-to  
>  **Temee** \- wingless (insult)
> 
> And yes, I and You are the reverse of each other...
> 
> Oh, and quick notes on some Japanese words used:
> 
>  **Nezumi** is rat  
>  **Yagi** is goat  
>  **Karasu** is crow (and yes it is also the name of our favorite bomber who wants to kill Kurama...)  
>  **Temee** is bastard but we're using a "makaian" translation for a reason in this case.
> 
> And a few other notes: a baby bat is called a pup, and a group of bats is a colony.
> 
> Oh, and Rune, don't hesitate adding your own comments to this note XD I love your thoughts.
> 
> _*panics at the sudden credit given* Nah-uh! No way! This was TK's original idea, I just helped a little bit. I will not so much credit! I CAN'T HANDLE THAT KIND OF PRESSURE! *flails wildly and falls over*_
> 
> O_O Dude, totally didn't think Rune would freak about that...huh *pokes Rune* silly friend-co-author... XD


	2. I'm Not Made To Be Alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A young bat demon takes to life on the streets, adopts a witchling, and reunites with a familiar face.

_Sometimes, there were just instances where I couldn't take it anymore…I_ _**had** _ _to make it stop. But then I'd think about the look you'd have, and realize just how disappointed in me you'd be and I couldn't do it._

_Then I found the little red pup…shivering and cold hiding in a box…just like you were when I first found you…_

_…and everything made sense._

* * *

"BOY! Get out here!"

Vernon Dursley's face was slowly turning puce as he tapped his foot, waiting outside the cupboard door. The wooden portal creaked open and a small form climbed out. Malnutrition was obvious in the sight of too pale skin stretched over visible ribs and bones leading the current five-year-old to appear two to three years younger. Messy black locks falling just above far too thin shoulders made faint barrier between his inhumanly green eyes and the massive body of his uncle.

"We are having guests in an hour, you will cook dinner, clean up after yourself, then return to your room where-"

" _-I will remain quiet and pretend I don't exist. Listen you fat ass, I've heard all this before, so you can stop saying it already. I would have called Child Protective Services on you a long time ago for all this crap. Which can be termed as abuse you know, but I can't reach the phone."_  
  
Of course, that's what the reborn koumori wanted so dearly to say, instead he simply nodded as his 'uncle' repeated the orders he had long since memorized.

' _As soon as I get my powers back, I will kill this Temee. I will kill him_ _ **dead**_ _. And I'll_ _ **smile**_ _and_ _ **laugh**_ _over his corpse.'_

Vernon shoved the child into the kitchen to get started on the gourmet meal his wife would take credit for, not hearing the boy mumble under his breath.

" _E-an-us mea-paa-o shiiman paca-nan. E-an-us shiiman, e-an-us shiiman, e-an-us mea-paa-o shiiman paca-nan._ "

_I hate the fat-man. I hate, I hate, I hate the fat-man._

Growling the Youkai in disguise swiftly got to work, easily ignoring the nauseating stench of raw, bloody meat.

" _Tio kekka pi dus e-an-uspa lyber._ "

_The mutt is dead when I'm free._

* * *

__**One Year, Six Months Later  
**  
That's it, that was the final straw to break the camels' back. He paused for a second in the middle of his break out, what in the name of the Makai did camels have to do with  _anything_? Why was that even a phrase? Harry shook his head, focus stupid! You're escaping from the unjust position that the fat-man put you in! The reborn koumori was a lot of things: a liar of epic proportions, a thief of the highest caliber, an avid fruit-eater, a closet yaoi fanatic (anyone who found this out would die the most horrible bloody death he could think of, most likely involving his Kura-kins Death Tree), but he was NOT, I repeat NOT…

…attending a human preschool.

He'd die  _(again)_  first! Which is why he was currently sneaking out the back door carrying a "borrowed" backpack full of "borrowed" fruit. Hey! Don't judge him! He has to eat too you know! He's a growing boy! Shutting the door behind him, the not quite seven-year-old vanished into the night.

Well, not really, but that sounds soooo much cooler than saying "he ran as fast as his tiny legs could carry him through the yard and down the street in the middle of broad daylight where anyone at all could see him just by turning their heads or looking out a window", despite the fact that that's the truth. But hey, that sounds lame, so "vanished into the night" it is.

* * *

__**Two Months Later**  
  
It had been two months since he had left the Dursley household, eight weeks since he had revived his roots so to speak and returned to thieving, fifty-nine days of pure and utter freedom. The first thing he had done was steal a hat and thoroughly shred it. First to go was the back and the top. Next he found a gold piece made of two connecting parts and attached it to the front with a thin white piece of leather. That made room for his ears and ponytail which had grown two feet since he had run away (of course, the helpful application of youki did great wonders, not that he's telling anyone).

The second thing he did was to steal some more comfortable clothes, which included: a black vest (which was later shredded and tied together with the left over strips of leather), two lengths of black leather, tight black pants, black boots (also leather…NO HE DID NOT HAVE A FETISH!), two black belts, and a large white cloth. Once dressed he felt much better, the only things he was missing were his kusarigama and his pendent.

He was running down an alley way trying to get out of the rain when he heard the sound. A low whimper of pain. Stopping before a wet cardboard box he knelt down and memories instantly overtook him. The child huddled to the back was small and drenched, shivering from the cold. Long red hair was matted against pale skin and ragged clothing. Harry sighed and reached out to draw the child forward, causing them to squeak and fight.

"Hey! Stop, I'm not hurting you!"

"Go 'way! Go 'way!"

"Shuushi pup!"

Oddly enough, the pup did exactly as he had ordered, halting instantly with a whimper. Now that they weren't fighting he could see it was a little girl. Carefully, he judged that she couldn't be any older than six, if that. Sighing again he pulled the child into his lap, rubbing her back gently.

"What's your name, pup?"

"Don't 'member. So cold."

"Kuso. Alright then, from now on, your name is Barani."

"Barani?"

"Yeah, and I'm your aniki Kuronue. Now, let's go get you some new clothes; no family of mine is going to be seen dressed like  _that_."

Was it mentioned that the reason his former hideout with his Kura-kins had so many mirrors was in fact  _not_  because of the mentioned youko? That's right, the koumori was far more vain over his appearance then the kitsune could ever be. And he was about to spread that over-the-top vanity to his new little sister.

* * *

_**One Month Later** _

"Ani, Barani doesn't understand."

"Ok, I'll explain this  _one more time_. After that, I'm kicking you off my back, so to speak."  **(1)**

"Hai, ani."

"We're not really  _stealing_  per say, we're…oh what are the words Kura-kins used for the newbies?…Oh right!…we're  _borrowing_  the items because right now we need them more than these flesh-bags do. We just have no real intention of ever returning or paying for the items we just so happen to  _borrow_."

"Ani?"

"Hai Barani-chan?"

"Usotsuki."

"HUH? Barani-chan! How could you accuse your dear onii-san of such an act?"

"Warui usotsuki."

"You have no sense of humor."

"Hungry, ani."

"Ok ok, ani is getting you food. Sit right here and look cute."

"Hai ani."

Kuronue sat her down on the edge of the fountain and quickly moved towards the vendor he had had his eyes on. The bright green depths stared intently at the middle-aged man behind the cart, advertising his fresh fruit. Sparing a glance to his sister to make sure she hadn't moved he stiffened.

A pair of bobbies were approaching the little girl clad in a soft pink sundress covered in scattered roses with matching red sandals. Her hair was held away from her face with a pink headband, a fake red rose attached to the side. His little sister was every inch the cute little girl, but she still couldn't lie to save her life (or his for that matter)! Ready to abandon his mission to save her he relaxed as the officers just kept walking, sparing a few smiles for the redheaded child.

Kuronue shook his head and focused back on the mission.

A few moments later he was running full tilt down the streets, Barani clinging to his back holding his prize as the two bobbies from before chased after them. He mentally cursed that vendor, the man had spotted him just as he was getting away from the cart and yelled for the officers.

' _This was so much easier when I had Kura-kins to watch my back_.'

* * *

_**Two Months Later** _

"Look ani! Look what I did!"

"…"

"Ani?"

"Barani-chan, how did you steal the entire cart and not get caught?"

"Hee hee, I blamed someone else of course. I'm just a little girl, why would I steal anything?"

"…"

"Ani? Why are you crying?"

"I trained you so well! Give ani a hug!"

"ANI!"

* * *

_**One Month Later** _

This was it, time to get out. He had finally gathered up enough youki to blow a hole through the wall with enough left over to transform. A small explosion later and a larger than average crow was flying through a hole formed in the highest security cell of the prison Azkaban. Sirius Black was finally free. Now to find his little pain in the ass pup.

* * *

Kuronue sneezed, dropping the apple he'd been eating. Rubbing his nose the koumori waved off Barani's concerned look. She nodded and returned to her fruit salad.

"I think someone's talking about me. It's probably the mutt."

* * *

_**One Year Later** _

A tall dark haired man was strolling down the busy London street just taking in the sights and sounds. Along with the occasional smell that managed to catch his attention. That's why he didn't notice the tiny redhead slipping his wallet from his pocket until the hidden chain attached jerked. Quickly catching the little girl he gave what he thought was a gentle smile only to have her scream out.

"Ani! Ani!"

A foot slammed into his gut causing him to grab the appendage on instinct and yank down. The karasu's grey orbs met and connected with furious green irises that held the barest hints of violet-blue in them. Surprise instantly filled both pairs as the yelled at the same time.

"PUP?"

"MUTT?"

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Ok! Chappie two is finished, and in a record four days. Yes, I rock that hard. Kuronue is just too cute. I really love developing his character. His nickname for Youko is just too priceless!_ Kura-kins.
> 
> Makainese
> 
>  **Mutt** \- kekka  
>  **You** \- su-na-e  
>  **I** \- e-an-us  
>  **Year(s)** \- juudai  
>  **Reincarnation** \- rein-ca-to  
>  **True** \- keizon (From last chapter)  
>  **Fat-man** \- paca-nan  
>  **Hate** \- shiiman  
>  **Dead/death** \- dus/dusa  
>  **Temee** \- wingless (insult)
> 
> Japanese
> 
>  **Karasu** \- crow  
>  **Koumouri** \- bat  
>  **Kuronue** \- black crane  
>  **Barani** \- rose red  
>  **Kusarigama** \- A scythe attached to a chain/rope at the end. Think Kohaku's weapon from Inuyasha  
>  **Kuso** \- shit  
>  **Aniki** \- big brother (informal)  
>  **Ani** \- shortened form of Aniki  
>  **Onii-san** \- big brother (formal)  
>  **Shuushi** \- stop  
>  **Usotsuki** \- liar  
>  **Warui** \- bad  
>  **Youko** \- fox demon  
>  **Kitsune** \- spirit fox  
>  **Youki** \- demon energy
> 
> TK's Note: OMG Runie this is awesome! You did a total wicked job for the chapter! I was laughing throughout XD Now for the explanation of the (1) in the chappy that Runie forgot to put in (she IM'd me it when I asked, dear readers)
> 
> (1) this sentence is in reference to when baby bats fly; the mother shoves them off her back, like a mama bird pushing her chick out of the nest. As Runie put it "he's basically saying 'i'm helping you this last time, after this you're on your own' to Barani"
> 
> Other than the added words to Makainese I don't think there's much else state besides the fact that this chappy was by Rune-Ruin. So give hands up to my lovely co-author! You did a great job Runie!
> 
> Oh, and before I forget: Barani is more commonly known as Ginny Weasley. Yeah, Barani is little Gin-Gin. Suck it up and deal with it XD


	3. A Family Perspective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A family is born, not just out of love, but also insanity and occupational hazards.

_Kurama, where are you? I need you to save me! Everything is all twisted and weird and shining bright colors—or that might just be the strange pills I took to deal with the stress—but that's not the point! I need you! Save me! I swear I'll make it up to you somehow!_

_I mean, I **really**  wasn't expecting this, okay? Dying, sure, it was a mistake and a complete accident! I already said I was sorry right? But this...? This is backwards! It's—It's  **INSANE**! I have a real "father" now who acts more like an unsupervised little brother than a father and he's so—so—so frustrating I mean how hard is it to pick up the family business?_

_Barani got it right away! Why can't he figure it out? I thought it was all so simple...we had **rookies**  getting things quicker than this, right?_

_Right?_

* * *

As far as first meetings went, Barani felt her first meeting with the man that would soon be her new daddy went rather well. It certainly set the tone for how life would be in the future; chaotic and fun. She hadn't recognized him at first, instead she made him as a possible mark. He had all the airs and grace of a rich man, and his wallet was within easy reach.

Well, easy reach if it wasn't chained to his ass. That's when she realized who he was, when he grabbed her arm and gave her that winning smile. Her old mommy and daddy had pictures of him. Sometimes her old mommy would cry over those pictures asking "why" over and over again. This was Sirius Black, a very bad man.

Barani had done what any child would do in her situation. She's screamed for her big brother, using the foreign words Kuronue had taught her. Instantly Kuronue had come running and then kicked Sirius Black right in the stomach. Barani remembered she hid behind her brother just as both the bad man and Kuronue recognized each other.

Sirius Black was apparently like Kuronue, except he was a crow—karasu, Kuronue had called it—and that the only bad thing he'd done was to leave Kuronue behind when he was a pup. Or at least that's what she picked out from the cursing and yelling that had started up once they arrived at Sirius Black's hotel.

It was kinda like watching a quidditch match, only they didn't speak English. They spoke that funny guttural language that Kuronue liked to swear in sometimes.

"Faison ma-ta-sha su-na-e degraaa kekka! E-an-us shiiman su-na-e su-na-e banban juuta-shu kilka-do damnusha!" Kuronue snarled as Barani sat on the edge of the bed with a lolly, absentmindedly swinging her legs back and forth. Her head jumped between Sirius and Kuronue as each spoke.

_Fucking hell you degrading mutt! I hate you, you abandoning piece of half-bred shit!_

"Don't take that tone with me,  _pup_ ," Sirius snarled back, bearing his teeth in a canine manner. His words though held a slight hiss to them, just inches shy of being an outright avian screech. "Denaa-to e-an-us-ta su-na-e batinbo kresan-mi fusei!"

_When I left you, baby bat, was not planned!_

Kuronue bent forward at his waist and held his hands out, palm up at his sides. He bared his fangs—apparently it wasn't just a canine thing then, perhaps it was a creature thing—and hissed in warning. His fingertips began to shimmer with repressed youki. His eyes began to swirl, almost turning violently purple instead of the crafted blend of purple and green.

Srius sighed and collapsed into a chair. He ran a hand through his finely styled hair and closed his eyes. "I would have come sooner,  _pup—_ " he started to say.

Kuronue sneered out a sharp, "Fuuka ne!" still in the warning pose before Sirius.

_Yeah right!_

The elder demon cawed out at sharp, "Shitau da!" in response.

_Shut up!_

Barani could feel the tension rise as Kuronue's mouth clacked shut and his body almost forcibly pulled itself out of the position it was in. After a second of pure silence the child demon huffed and crossed his arms. He turned his head to the side, peering at Sirius out of the corner of his eyes disdainfully. Sirius relaxed just a bit.

"I was going to come for you," the animagus uttered slowly. "I didn't...I went after Peter, alright? They...deserved to be avenged. Saiseisan inna-me mo...su-na-e ga-me juudai me-to. You're annoying, pup, but we're both kin of the sky. I wouldn't abandon you before you got your wings if I had the choice."

_It was a right of mine...you wouldn't be abandoned for years._

Kuronue sighed and slouched in a way that was unbecoming of a thief, but he couldn't help it. He may not be going through puberty just yet, but he had childish desires just as anyone. If he wanted to slouch he'd damn well slouch!

Barani took one last lick of her lollipop and decided to speak up since the conversation had begun to lull just a bit. She pointed the lolly towards Sirius. "You're Sirius Black, mass-murdering madman."

Like most completely unexpected sentences that children utter into the air, Barani's words caused both demons to pause. One in pure confusion, and the other in pure shock.

"Na-Nani?" Kuronue cried out just as Sirius choked a sharp, " _Witchling!_ " into the air. It took a minute before the term witchling settled properly into Kuronue's brain. It wasn't because he was slow, really. He just needed a moment to process the entire situation, like any good thief. So what if it took him a moment or two longer than any other demon out there?

There was a reason why Kurama tended to be the one who went first. He reacted in a pure slice and dice fashion to any and all threats in their path, able to accurately pick out friend from foe thanks to his heightened sense of hearing and smell. His eyesight too was superior to most other youko breeds, sharper and able to pick out the tiniest twitches of movement, although that could have been more thanks to his excellent hearing and sense of smell.

Unlike Kurama, Kuronue was practically blind. He knew it, heck everyone knew it. It was a trait of the kumouri. All of his kin had terrible eyesight, but they overcompensated it with their far superior sense of hearing and an excellent skill in illusion-space magic. By casting a simple spell upon his own person, Kuronue could 'see' like any other demon.

It still made telling friend from foe hard though. Kuronue wouldn't be able to pick Kurama out of a crowd so easily if he hadn't gotten to know his clever fox so well. So no, he wasn't slow. Exactly. Sort of. Maybe.

He wasn't in denial either, dammit.

Once Kuronue  _had_  processed the situation he blinked and then shrugged, unconcerned. "So  _that's_  how she picked up everything so easily. I was wondering about that."

Sirius shot him an odd glance. Barani just grinned. The situation was perfectly defused, just as she thought that comment would do. Now how to get her big brother to give her some more sweets...

* * *

It had taken a while to unearth the full story of what had happened. How Pettigrew had actually gotten the best of Sirius, to his incarceration, and the belief that he was a traitor amongst the Wizarding World. Kuronue had to restrain from actively bashing his skull into the wall. It was the reminder that bashing his skull against the wall would result in bruises upon his delightful face that had just barely stopped him.

Barani had giggled at the amusing display from the bed. This explanation was of course followed by several hours of Kuronue dancing around the subject of his previous home life and why he was wandering the streets like a vagabond. Once the young demon had actually spoken up about his not-relatives he had to physically restrain Sirius from fulfilling the guilty count of murder.

Once all was said and done, though, and the prerequisite bantering out of the way, both demons hashed out a plan of action. First things first, they would need to ditch England.

"I don't get why, though," Kuronue pointed out, his arms crossed lightly as he flicked off the reasons, as he saw it, against leaving on one hand. "Obviously you can get around well enough without anyone recognizing you. Barani and I am perfectly capable of surviving as we had and no bobby has caught us yet. Plus with your money and our brains—"

"Oi! Whose the older of you lot?" Sirius interrupted.

"— _and our brains_ ," Kuronue continued lightly, "we're perfectly well enough to continue living here as we were. In fact, we could live in style." He liked that idea. Living in style, just what he and Kurama dreamed. He could shred all the designer wear into rags that he wanted if they lived in style.

Sirius shook his head and placed his hands on his hips in an entirely  _manly_ manner. "Pup, you remember who put you on... _Petunia's_...doorstep, right?"

"Grey beardy old guy who smelled of goats?" Kuronue asked confusedly. "Yeah. Why?"

"Well..." Sirius drawled out. "He's a meddling old bastard who just happens to run the only magical school in Britain."

"And I would have to attend this magic school?" Kuronue asked, blinking twice.

"Yes."

Kuronue blinked twice more and then asked, "He's not a pedophile is he?"

"Good as, sometimes," Sirius replied lightly. Barani's head bounced back and forth between Sirius and Kuronue like a tennis match.

"Bit batty and insane? Gives a bad name to us good folk with wicked ideas?"

"Entirely."

"And we couldn't just...I dunno...ship me off to some other school?"

"He wouldn't allow it."

Kuronue paused, thought, and then said bluntly, "Well, fuck. Barani, we're leaving!"

Barani perked up at the 'bad word' out of Kuronue's mouth. She pushed aside the revelation that they would be moving countries and instead focused on the swear. "Aniki said a bad word," she sang. "Aniki said  _fuck!_ "

Kuronue paled and hastily began to wave his arms. "Barani, sweetie, forget Aniki said anything! Aniki didn't swear, there's no words to go repeating that Aniki said."

Barani cheerfully began to chant, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," over and over until Kuronue groaned and hung his head.

"What do you want for your silence?" the kumouri asked tiredly.

Barani tilted her head in thought and tapped one of her fingers against her lips. "Hmmm," she said. "Three lollipops and ice cream for dinner for a week!"

Kuronue narrowed his eyes. "Three lollipops and ice cream for dinner for two days."

Barani smiled sweetly. "Four lollipops and ice cream for dinner for four days. Plus chocolate for the other three. Or I say the bad word for the rest of your life..."

"You drive a hard bargain, imouto," Kuronue said, eyes narrowed into a slight glare. "I accept."

Sirius scratched his head in confusion, unsure just how to take this odd development in his godsons life. He shrugged, decided to ignore the strange relationship Kuronue and the Witchling had, and instead said, "So...Gringotts anyone?"

That prompted further explanation and planning.

* * *

It took a week before Kuronue felt even remotely secure in the stability of his illusions to even think of allowing Sirius, Barani, and himself to travel into the heart of enemy territory, and to Kuronue it  _was_  enemy territory. Gringotts didn't exist solely for the Wizardling and Witchling's use. The self-proclaimed Goblins were actually a clan of imp-like yokai for the Makai known as  _Gringott_ after all.

A clan that he and Kurama stole from, many, many years ago. Kuronue almost lost a wing in that heist, and Kurama almost lost an eye.

Of course this fact about Gringotts and Kuronue's past dealings with the clan were kept safe and buried and  _away_  from Barani and Sirius. One for protection, and the other because, well, Kuronue just wasn't sure how well Sirius would take that little tidbit of truth. While vain, and greatly desiring access to Sirius' money, Kuronue also felt for the first time since Barani's appearance a desire for acceptance too.

So he held off on agreeing to travel when Sirius first felt that Kuronue had been ready. Instead he pushed out little nuggets of insecurity for Sirius to ponder on, or even details about his former homelife for the convict to rage about.

Only when Kuronue was ready did they depart.

With a keen eye for the magic he'd woven into the illusion, tasting and testing its mettle, did he look over his handy work as it brushed gently against Sirius' and Barani's skin. With a little twist, and a light note, Kuronue calmly anchored their illusions to a bracelet he had strapped around his wrist. In the dead of night he'd stolen just a drop of their blood, to ensure the magic would remain tied to them. Last minute checking done, Kuronue stepped back and nodded once to Sirius.

"Now, the Witchling understands," Sirius said lowly as he opened the door to the Leaky Cauldron, "but both of you must remain unimpressed of the Alley. We don't want to stand out any more than anybody else." With shockingly masterful skill Sirius motioned and looked as if he were lightly scolding both Kuronue and Barani in soft undertones.

Kuronue was impressed. Perhaps he'd misjudged the elder demon's skills. Taking his cues from Sirius, both Kuronue and Barani looked rather contrite. Hand on both of the children's shoulders, Sirius led them out into the Alley and towards Gringotts.

It looked as vast, and grand, as Kuronue remembered. Obviously this wasn't the clan home that he and Kurama had raided, but it was so similar that the young bat had a moment lost in the surreality of it all. He could almost hear Kurama's rich laughter on the wind.

Actually, that wasn't just imagined. Kuronue paused, stiffened, and glanced around for his former partner—his  _mate_. His ears twitched, hunted for that laugh that he knew so well. For the briefest of moments he swore he could see Kurama's shining silver hair dart around the building and, with bated breath he moved to chase after him—

"Pup!"

Kuronue jerked in Sirius' grasp. Black had a grip on the child's elbow and looked concerned down at him.

"Inna-to?" he asked, once, under his breath.

_What's wrong?_

Kuronue glanced towards where he saw Kurama, where he heard the laughter, but there was nothing there, now. Not even the faintest of a scent on the wind, a hint of a sound. Nothing.

"Shiishii no-me," Kuronue muttered back, and returned to Sirius' side. He gave the older man a small, little smile at the searching look. After a minute Sirius nodded, and they continued towards Gringotts.

_It was nothing._

* * *

Gringotts was a grand as ever. Sirius had led them to a shaded corner, where one of the little demon-imps was almost sleeping on a pile of gold. Surreptitiously he dropped five otherworldly coins that Kuronue recognized as coming from the Makai. They landed on the desk with quiet thumps, although to Kuronue they might have been signal drums for how loud and revealing they were. The imp shot up and immediately inspected the coins, going so far as to bite them for authenticity.

Then, there was a stare off between crow and imp. It lasted perhaps only a minute, the coin still grasped in the imps hands. Then, slowly, the imp set the coin down.

"What would the Black Murder be wanting with Clan Gringott, today," the imp asked slowly, and in plain English even! Kuronue had to bite back his shock, and beside him Barani clutched his hand tighter as she paused in the routine sucking of her lolly.

"Blood adoption for a witchling of unknown origin," Sirius said lowly. "Letters to be sent out to the members of the Murder currently invested in the Wizardling's world. A new country of residence to be set up for the entire Murder. Effective immediately. Fifteen gold shanks, two silver bucklers, and a bronze shield for services rendered to be paid to Clan Gringott upon completion."

 _This_  was a classic Makaian trade. Kuronue recognized it immediately. He hadn't been aware that there were more of the Black Murder about the human realm aside from Sirius. Honestly he'd actually believed Sirius to be a crow in hiding, or an escapee from Spirit World's jail or something equally masterful. To hear that Sirius' Murder had been apparently living amongst the humans—well, witchling and wizardling, really—was a bit of a surprise. Kuronue swallowed once and carefully tugged on Sirius' robes before the imp could shoot off a counter price for services.

"Yes, pup?" Sirius asked, bending slightly to view Kuronue with his head cocked to one side in an avian manner.

Kuronue swallowed once; if they were to do this  _right..._ especially considering his precarious position and likelihood of having children of his own one day...then Kuronue had to reveal a secret not even Kurama knew. A secret that  _might_  ruin the illusions he'd cast anyway, since Clan Gringott  _could've_  unearthed it, although unlikely that would be.

"An adoption into Colony Hitoshirezu will be required for the Witchling, as well as a magically binding agreement for an alliance between the Black Murder and Colony Hitoshirezu...if I am to live with the Black Murder at all," Kuronue said slowly.

Sirius paused, and then frowned lightly. He opened his mouth to ask what Kuronue was talking about—oh certainly he knew that Kuronue displayed more traits from the distant relation to the Hitoshirezu kumouri from his grandfather Charlus' side of the family than the more recent relation of the Black Murder through his grandmother Dorea, but this demand seemed to be more than that. It was something deeper.

The demon imp realized this as well, because with narrowed eyes it asked slowly, "And who are you to demand this of Clan Gringott?"

Kuronue sucked in a breath before standing tall and narrowing his gaze. "Colony Hitoshirezu Chiefson, Hitoshirezu Kuronue."

There was a beat, a moments pause of breath, and then the demon imp's face split into a wide and terrifying grin as it hissed between its teeth, "Welcome back to the land of the living, Black Thief of Makai."

The tensioned bled out of Kuronue's form like a sieve.  _Safe_ , he thought. He was safe.

"Glad to be back, Clan Gringott," Kuronue replied coolly.

For now.

* * *

Total services rendered had cost an arm and a leg once Kuronue revealed his name to Gringotts. Unfortunately while the little bastards found his tenacity to live when death was the option before him impeccable—a 'true warrior's spirit' they said—they still had not forgiven his act of thievery against their clan so long ago. It was only because the Black Murder had been such good clients over the years that services rendered hadn't cost the entirety of Kuronue  _and_  Sirius' fortune.

In the end, they'd gained property in Japan, the birthplace of the weakness in the Barrier between realms. Sirius had calmly penned a letter to all those of his Murder that were considered actually members of said Murder. Apparently Barani was a distant relative but since she didn't display any actual talents of the Murder, she wasn't considered a member despite her relation. In fact, after the adoption, Barani displayed a shocking tendency for Kuronue's colony illusions. However, she was still young. She had years to eventually develop the destruction techniques of the Black's.

Letter's sent off, and details of their new home and lifestyle set up—Clan Gringott always prided itself on going above and beyond the requested services—Sirius, Barani, and Kuronue left Gringotts bank and Wizardling's world all together.

Back at the hotel, in the comfort of luxury, did Sirius confront Kuronue on what had happened at Gringotts bank.

"How can you be a thief just out of puberty," Sirius said slowly, "and yet still be my godson who has a good four hundred years before he's supposed to even hit it?"

Kuronue stared at his hands for a minute, contemplating. "A heist myself and my mate were partaking in went wrong," he said softly, glancing over to Barani who had been put to bed shortly before this conversation began. "I died as a result."

Sirius sucked in a sharp breath.

"It took me...a while, but eventually I evaded the ferry girls and imprisonment," Kuronue continued slowly. "My soul found a rip between the barriers, and tracked it here. I was drawn to...your unborn godson. It was soulless, despite his age. He would have been stillborn, if I hadn't...chosen to remain."

Sirius clenched a fist for a second. He closed his eyes, calmed himself, and then nodded. "That's why you display the abilities of the Hitoshirezu clan, when no other Potter has before you." Kuronue's head jerked up in surprise. "Oh don't be so foolish. Your colony had intermingled with humans before, you should know that already. James' family had always been better gifted towards Charms and Defense in magic, thanks to the latent abilities of illusion-space magic that your colony is famous for. Although James himself was more of a transfiguration buff. He leaned more towards the Black's than the Potter's in that regard, probably because Dorea was his mother, and thus the blood was freshest more than anything."

"Half-breed children either are, or aren't youkai," Kuronue murmured softly and Sirius nodded in agreement. "Sometimes extreme stress can activate a latent heritage. This means that...I am not human at all, am I."

"No," Sirius sighed. "No pup. You are a hundred percent yokai. Slow aging included."

"...well, shit," Kuronue actually  _pouted_. "I don't want to wait five hundred years before I pass puberty again!" He was whining, too. This just righteously  _sucked_. Sirius cracked a laugh.

"I guess its a good thing we Black's kept secret our dabbling in  _temporal_  mechanics, right?"

Kuronue blinked and allowed the 'secret' to process. He didn't have to wait five hundred years because of  _temporal_  something or other that Sirius could do. Then he hugged Sirius tight enough that the older demon had trouble breathing for a second.

"Best. Godfather. Ever!"

* * *

Sirius explained that hey couldn't activate the temporal-whatsit until they had a permanent and stable home. As the elder demon explained it was a Black tradition to enter their first temporal vacation right before the start of school, so that their children looked the appropriate age. Every two years after that they'd enter into another 'vacation' until they'd reach the equivalent age of eighteen. Which meant Kuronue and Barani would be stuck looking like they were three and four for another three years.

So, after a week of setting up trip plans with Kuronue on the side setting up a training regime for Sirius, they finally set off on a long, world trip to Japan. Their first stop was Belgium, in Brussels. Kuronue worked out the best place to start Sirius' training with that foreknowledge and smiled. He and Barani could watch from the sidelines, safely, as Sirius started learning what it meant to be a thief.

When they reached Brussels Kuronue placed a simple pamphlet in front of Sirius with the command to read it.

"No self-respecting godfather of mine will be an untrained hack," Kuronue said bluntly. "He will know my trade as I know it."

The cover of the pamphlet, which was really no mare than a folded card, was embellished and embossed in gold. It read simply  _Thief: Follow the Code, and you will be rewarded. Stray from the path, and face your ending. Ten simple rules to abide by, and fortune shall be assured. If you forget one, worry not. Forget two, trouble abounds. Forget three, your fate is sealed._

Inside, on each page in scrawling script, was a 'rule' to abide by.

_What is locked – can be opened. What is hidden – can be found. What is yours – can be mine..._

_Steal what is easily replaced, if you wish not to be chased._

_Be seen once – be gone next. A thief caught is a thief lost._

_A tale is only told. Say nothing and the story never ends._

_Bring jerky. You never know when there might be hounds..._

_People keep their treasure close to their hearts, and far from their servants..._

_Dress like you belong, and they will gladly hand over the keys._

_Know your fence. What they do is as bad as what you do. They will protect you, for their own sake._

_Thieves borrow and don't return. Never trust a thief._

_Do not kill – a life is worth nothing. You cannot fence death._

Sirius looked it over, confused as to why Kuronue had given him this. Kuronue grinned, bearing teeth.

"Your training in Colony Hitoshirezu's trade begins now..."

* * *

In Belgium, in Brussels, Sirius was commanded to steal a beautiful, fanciful painting of Makai origins. He blundered it badly enough that Kuronue  _almost_  wasn't able to salvage the heist. The man had no concept of stealth, of forethought, or even the ability to tell a fake from the truth. It was an eye-opening experience. Afterward Kuronue ended up quoting the code back at Sirius, annoyed.

From Belgium they moved into Germany. Kuronue had been wary to continue with his training regime, since the next heist Sirius would be doing was more advanced then the first, but somehow Sirius convinced him. So Sirius headed off to a wealthy mansion to steal a priceless vase that, in hindsight, was practically worthless and probably easily replaced.

Except Sirius took the  _not_  easily replaceable object instead and they group was forced to run. They lived out of shitty hotel after shitty hotel as they tried to escape Germany.

Eventually they reached the Czech Republic, which ended in more running from the police and a quick jailbreak. In Slovokia Sirius got drunk and and talked about a heist he'd been on the night before, in the presence of the one he'd stolen from. Another jailbreak had to go down before they fled to Ukraine where Sirius almost got mauled by dogs, followed by fleeing into Russia, and then Kazakhstain, to Mongolia, to China where Sirius got conned by another thief. They went through North Korea to South Korea to and then over to Japan.

In South Korea things had gone sour really fast and the guy they were stealing from had almost died. Kuronue and Barani's timely interruption saved his life. Finally, though, they hit Japan, and the start of their new lives...

* * *

In England several copies of a single letter was delivered by owl. Hidden away in one of the many Black households Alphard Black, younger brother to Walburga, received a copy. In Azkaban Bellatrix Lestrange received a copy. Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Malfoy, Callidora Longbottom, Cedrella Weasley, the children of Belvina Burke and Charis Crouch.

_Black Murder,_

_As a notice, the entire Murder is now being moved to Japan. We are leaving the British Wizardling's community. It is a concern that we might catch their stupid. Now, however, it is the British Wizardling's are not a viable community for expanding the Murder._

_Parents and Children are both welcome to the new compound in Japan. The move **is**  mandatory for all of those that show our heritage._

_This goes doubly for the sisters three, Narcissus, Belladonna, and Androgyn. As being in direct line for the leader of our Murder you are **required**  to be present at the compound. Bella, dear, I know how much you like to play. You'll find some tasty morsels here, I'm sure. Just keep the screaming to a minimum, will you?_

_Uncle Alphard, and cousins Callidora and Cedrella, your presences would be appreciative. I have come into contact with a few children that could benefit from our spacial loops._

_The location should be obvious._

_Sisters three, there is another matter I need your...help in. It involves Karasu._

_Kaemon Black_  
 _Son of Walburta and Orin Black  
_ _(otherwise Sirius, you great bunch of idiots)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We had no end notes for this chapter. Enjoy!


	4. Silver Fur Turned Red...Twice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youko Kurama, Shuichi Minamino, is in denial.

_ I hate you. You stupid, idiotic, self-sacrificing dumbass. How could you do this to me?! Me?! Your mate, the only demon who could put up with your crazy fucking self for longer than a day! I...I ...want to hate you, I really do. But I can’t because all I can do is cry. You’ll pay for that too you know. I look terrible when I cry. Damnit Kuronue, why? Why did you have to leave me? Now everything is wrong. I’m scared and it hurts and it’s wrong. _

_It’s all wrong._

_And red._

_And dark._

_Kuronue, I...I love you. I’m cold._

 

* * *

_ ‘Ugh...humans. THe things I do to survive.’ _

Dispassionate emerald orbs roamed over the children surrounding his human body. Running a hand through short vibrant red hair, Kurama bit back a sigh of boredom. He was currently seven years old with the mentality of a demon over three thousand years old, the contrast tended to give him a headache at times. Finally the bell rang, dismissing him from school for the day. Packing up he ignored the calls of ‘Minamoto-kun’ and ‘Shuichi-san’ from his growing fan base.

_‘Humans are so very dull.’_

* * *

** \- One Year Later - **

Another year had passed leaving Kurama still as bored as ever. His human mother was getting worried but he could care less of her feelings. His only goal was to gain enough power back to transform and escape back into Makai. From there we would track down one of the Black Murder sensors and do whatever it took to find Kuronue. Whether it was in the Makai, the Reikai, or even the Meikai. He would have his mate back, and then kick his ass for scaring the shit out of him for the stunt with the stupid, fucking, cheapass pendant of his.

Walking home later gave him even more time to think about his missing bat. He remembered that screaming match so clearly. It was the worst one ever.

 

* * *

_ “What the hell were you thinking?! You fucking idiot! I told you there were more guards!” _

_The rest descended into a strangled shout of rage as Kurama hit his breaking point. Only Kuronue could get him this angry this quick._

_“How was I supposed to know that a hissed ‘guards’ meant there were twenty more behind the doorway?! I’m not a mind reader Kura-kins!”_

_Kuronue was beautiful in his anger, purple eyes flashing and wings flared. Pale skin was dotted with sweat from their hasty escape with the loot and all Kurama wanted to do was trace every salty bead with his tongue._

_“For such great hearing you sure are fucking deaf you stupid fucking chimera!”_

_The darker thief instantly froze, stilling Kurama’s next sentence in his chest. Purple eyes had become stone and lips curled up to bare needle sharp fangs._

_“For the last **fucking** time **Youko**. I am **not** a chimera. I am a **fucking** **bat**. And you can kiss my ass. I’m done.”_

_Kurama couldn’t breathe, Kuronue never cursed, and never called him ‘Youko.’ Ever since he gave his name to the other thief he had always been ‘Kura-kins.’ His hands were shaking, and Kuronue was walking away, and no! He couldn’t leave! He can’t leave, not when he needed him like he needed earth and sunlight and air! He ran after the other male and wrapped his arms, tail, and whatever plants he could reach around Kuronue._

_“No! No you can’t! Don’t...don’t leave! I...I can’t be alone again, I can’t! You...you have to stay! I’m sorry! Just...just don’t leave! I can’t go back to cold and dark and alone!”_

_He was sobbing into Kuronue’s back, he had to make him stay he just had to! After a beat of silence warm hands grasped his and there was a heavy sigh._

_“Let me turn around.”_

_Kurama did so, making sure to still keep a hold in case he tried to fly away. Purple gazed into gold as clawed thumbs brushed away the tears. A soft kiss was placed on his lips, startling the fox. Kuronue sighed again, wings folding in._

_“I won’t leave, I promise. I’ll never leave you Kurama. But you have to stop calling me a chimera. I’m a kumouri.”_

_“I won’t. I won’t. I’ll stop.”_

_“Good, now one more thing. You need to stop crying.”_

_“Okay, but why?”_

_“...because you look terrible when you cry.”_

_The vines around the bats waist darted up to his neck to choke him to death as the fox screamed anew._

_“I’m going to fucking kill you, you bastard!”_

* * *

Kurama blinked, suddenly pulled from the memory by Shiori greeting him at the door.

“How was school Shuichi-kun?”

“Fine mother.”

Kurama entered the house and set his school bag on the table. He needed a flower pot for science class and those where on the top shelf above the counter. Shiori was in the next room so he had no problem pushing the chair over to the counter and climbing up. Opening the cabinet door and standing on his tiptoes he was just able to reach the lip of the pot. Curling his fingers over the porcelain when his foot slipped and he started to fall backwards. He barely registered the crashing sound of the porcelain hitting the tile floor and breaking into pieces. All he could think of was his last happy moment with Kuronue.

 

* * *

_ “Kura-kins is all cuddly right now.” _

_“Shut up and stop moving. You are a pillow right now, pillows don’t move.”_

_“It’s cute~! You never let me cuddle you like this normally.”_

_“I just have a bad feeling about tomorrow.”_

_“Kura-kins, everything will be fine. I promise. We’ll steal the mirror and be back to have lots of sexy time~!”_

_Kurama couldn’t help but laugh. Kuronue was so stupid sometimes._

_“You idiot.”_

_“ **Your** idiot.”_

 

* * *

He could still hear the laugh and for a brief moment even thought he saw his long missing lover looking stunned at him. Then the world sped up, there was a scream--

“SHUICHI!”

\--and he was caught by a pair of slim arms inches from the pottery shards. He heard Shiori gasp in pain and his verdant eyes widened, realising that she had caught him at her own expense.

“M-Mother?”

“Are...you ok Shuichi-kun?”

“Mother! You’re hurt!”

He scrambled off her to inspect the bleeding gashes in her arms. His human mother only smiled softly.

“I’m fine, are you ok?”

Shuichi could only nod, stunned only to cry out when Shiori fell with a soft moan of pain.

“Mother!”

 

* * *

_ “You know Kura-kins, one day you’re going to love someone almost as much as you love me.” _

_“No I won’t. I won’t have time for anyone else with how much running after you I have to do.”_

_“Ha, ha, you will, trust me, you will.”_

_“Whatever idiot, now shut up. It’s the middle of the night.”_

_You stupid fucking prophetic idiot._

_I hate when you’re right._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OUR SINCEREST APOLOGIES!
> 
> Shit happened. Computers broke. Details lost. Life.
> 
>  _Next up - Family Takes Care of Family - when it comes out - WHO FUCKING KNOWS! DEAL!_ \--- NOTE this is not exactly true for AO3 // FFN ONLY COMMENT
> 
> Yeah. Life. It’s a bitch. Stop yelling at us. We’ve got a lot on our plates. Jobs. College. Costuming. Life. We’re writing, enjoy it while its here. Also I AM correcting the first chapter rorr of Flock to Murder. I haven’t cuz LAZINESS.
> 
>  
> 
> _We’re trying, patience people, seriously. But thank you for sticking with us, we really do appreciate it._
> 
>  
> 
> TK & _Rune-Ruin_


	5. A New Start A New Life

_Blacks are not like what people think. We're one crazy big ass family full of sadists and masochists and love our mind games, but then we're demons. What does one expect? Sunshine, daisies, rainbows? Ugh, please no._

_I'm still not sure of the blond haired brat, though. He acts too much like that pompous ass Uncles R & R shoved into the closet. My clothes are bomb, thank you very much. There's no need for him to look down at me like that. He's the pathetic one._

_Bluh, humans._

* * *

 

In Azkaban Bellatrix Lestrange lay curled in the corner of her cell, listening to the breathing of her husband and his brother in the cells next to her, one positioned to either side of her. Normally she would have been screaming her head off, or laughing, or crying as the fool demonic soul-eaters walked by and tugged at the depths of her very nature. Today, though, appeared to be a day of respite.

Or perhaps the respite had something to do with her fool cousins escape a year ago when he blasted a hole into the cell wall four cells down. For a moment Bella felt the urge to follow after him, to rend her bars into twisted metal, or to craft some sort of grenade to blow the prison to Kingdom come. Her fist curled, her energy swirled about it, before she calmed the fires within and breathed out slowly.

To do that would be to leave behind R a bastan and Rodolphus, to break the image of being madly in love with the disgusting fool who had dreams of megalomania. She listened to the breathing of the brothers. Her lips curled and she attempted to gain some rest for the respite. At least until the fluttering of wings caught her attention and, curious, Bellatrix moved. She sat up, surprised to see a sleek blue-black crow sitting on the window high out of reach. It looked to her, let out a cry, fluttered up, and flew out the window as a letter fell into her lap.

Her hands shook. She recognized the crest. Why would that dratted fool of a cousin be writing her, on official script and paper? He never was one for formality, not since they started these games of theirs so long ago. She tore open the letter, skimmed through it, then laughed. It was the laughter that woke up Rabastan and Rodolphus, her boys.

“Bella?” Rodolphus asked, grasping the bars of his cell and peering out towards hers. Rabastan mirrored his movements on her other side. She slipped up to her own bars, a wide wicked grin about her face.

“Boys,” she said, “how would you like to leave behind this wretched place?”

“We thought you’d never ask,” Rodolphus said, a wide grin mirroring his and his brothers face. They slipped through the bars and into Bella’s cell, where she frowned and stared between the both of them.

“...since when have you been able to do _that?”_ she questioned, carefully.

The brothers shared a look.

“We’ve always been able to,” Rabastan said, looking back towards Bella. Bellatrix narrowed her eyes.

“If the two of you could happily phase through the walls _then why haven’t you left already!?_ ” she shrieked, stepping into their faces. Both brothers exchanged another look.

“We couldn’t leave our Bella behind, could we?” Rabastan said again.

Rodolphus reached out a hand to cup Bella’s cheek. She leaned into the gesture, as she always did when it was just the two of them.

“Come, love, we know how you like your games,” Rodolphus said softly. Bella pouted, and then she slapped them both across the backs of their heads.

“I can blow things up you nitwits!” she shrieked, and as if to prove her point slapped the back wall of her cell which exploded into dust and mortar, opening the world outside. The brothers exchanged looks again.

“Who, exactly, did we mate to?” Rodolphus asked Rabastan.

Bella tossed her hair over her shoulder and sniffed.

“I am Belladonna Black,” she said imperiously. “And who might _I_ have mated to, then, you ignoramus fools?”

The brothers shrugged. “Rastaban and Rudolf Lestrange.”

“We really should have realized Black meant _Black_.”

“Honestly if they wanted an alliance they should have made their efforts known to us.”

“Oh both of you shut your beaks! We’re escaping!”

The brothers shared a look, shrugged, and went entirely incorporeal. They waited on Bella, who huffed, shifted into the shape of a giant crow, and took the flight with her boys following after.

* * *

Elsewhere Callidora stared at the letter in her hand, a frown across her face. The Liege Lord said to bring children along if the children could be named a member of the Murder, and she had just the child in mind. The issue then became that to the rest of her children, in-laws, and grandchildren this go around she was nothing more than some old biddy who had no say in the boys rearing. Well, that just wouldn’t do. Not anymore. Perhaps its time she showed them  _why_ she was Callidora Black before Callidora Longbottom.

Imperiously she stalked down the halls of Longbottom Manor, slipping from her gilded prison of a room and seeking out that tangy feel of hard won soil, the little fauntling she knew deserved so much better than a broken set of mundanely  _human_ relatives. Now she would ensure she got it, more than her mere midnight visits with the child to urge him on his calling, this boy of her flesh and blood -- not that a single member of the family recognized her power in the children, which just proved how ignorant they truly were.

She found him in the central living room, struggling against his uncles tight grip as the man dragged him toward the fire. Standing imperiously by her chair was the witch of a woman who claimed to be the boys grandmother. Pah! No grandmother would treat her grandchild is such a way. Such hideous blood, she should never let her darling boy marry the hedonistic fool. The only good of their union had been Frank, and look what happened to that?

“ _What_ are you doing, Algernon?” Callidora’s voice was like frost and fury of the forest all rolled in one. Her eyes burned like chips. Algernon didn’t pause.

“It is none of your concern, Callie, dear,” Augusta smiled condescendingly and stepped over to Callidora. “Come, let us get you back to your room.”

“I _said_ what are you _doing Algernon?_ ” Callidora snapped, pulling herself up to her full height and brushing aside Augusta’s grasping hands. She looked younger, healthier, and brighter than the great old aunt Callidora that everyone was used to.

Algernon paused, now, recognizing the power for what it was. He wasn’t an Unspeakable for nothing, after all. They’d unearthed plenty of knowledge to the old families amusement to at least know the dangers of messing around with some of the ‘pure blood’ families in the realm. He glanced between the boy, Neville, and Callidora, and then said carefully, “We’re attempting to prove if he’s a squib or not.”

Callidora narrowed her eyes.

“ _Enough_ of this foolishness,” she snarled, and the wood around the room creaked dangerously. “I have told you time and time again the boy is powerful and strong and your foolish notions that he’s nothing more than a simple _human_ has grated enough. I have had _enough_.”

“Callidora!” Augusta said sharply. “Go back to your room. You have no say in how I raise my grandson.”

“ _Quiet, Witchling childe!_ ” Something about Callidora seemed old, older than Augusta had ever seemed. Her words reverberated and resounded sharply in the room and little, tiny flowers bloomed in the wood as Callidora glared at the supposed Matriarch of the family. August went silent.

Algernon went deathly white.

“My Lord has called and I shall answer,” Callidora said coldly. “With me I am taking the last of my blood, my fauntling. Try me, and you shall see the full fury of the Black Murder, am I clear, children?”

Algernon licked his lips and nodded.

“Good. Neville, darling,” here her voice grew soft, sweet, kind, “come here.” Neville, eight year old beautiful Neville who didn’t look a day over four, toddled over to his aunt Callidora and she lifted him into her arms. She glared at the two in the room.

“If you ever breathe word of this, I will ensure your actions meet the light of day and you _will_ regret crossing me.”

With that Callidora turned on heel and disapparated.

* * *

 

At Malfoy Manor Narcissa stared at the letter in hand, her lips pulled down into a frown as she tugged long blond hair behind her ear carefully. This, she decided, was the perfect opportunity to drag Draco away from the calculative and questioning gaze of her so called husband. Lucius had been looking at her little dragon oddly ever since the boy had been born, able to see what most Wizardling’s weren’t, that the boy had some obvious  _Other_ traits.

When Draco didn’t appear to age past four, Lucius grew suspicious. This notice from her Lord Black gave her enough sway to finally leave the hell of a marriage. It was, after all, contracted into their agreement. If her Lord calls, she and any children she deemed to be of Black blood are allowed to leave, no questions or hassles.

Narcissa pursed her lips as she pulled her glass of tea up for a sip. Now how to phrase this so that Lucius wouldn’t attempt to follow her and steal back the only child of the Malfoy name? The matter was taken entirely out of hand when Lucius entered the parlor and raised an eyebrow at his wife’s pensive face.

“Sickle for your thoughts, dear?” he asked with the barest hints of a sneer. Narcissa glanced to him.

“I am attempting to puzzle together how to convince you to allow myself and my dragon to leave,” she said honestly. “The issue I am having is that I know you will not honor the agreements between my family and yours when this marriage was first even conceived as a thought, and so I find myself in a quandary. Can you guess that quandary Lucius?”

Lucius smirked. Narcissa hid a smile in her cup of tea. Oh how he thought he knew her.

“Your family calls, but you cannot leave me,” he said calmly. “Yes it seems quite a quandary dear.”

They stared at each other in the eye, Narcissa fully prepared to just knock the fool out and be done with it, maybe leave behind a threat or the appearance that she and Draco had been kidnapped, or maybe just run into the night and let the fool follow only to be broken apart by the Hunters. That, oddly, would have been satisfying.

“I am afraid you are incorrect,” Narcissa said finally. “I can leave. I can take Draco with me.”

“No, Narcissa, you can’t,” Lucius turned cold. “After all I have yet to know what it is you have done to my son.”

“As I have said, he is perfectly normal for a boy his age of Black blood. I went through the same thing, so did my sisters, my cousins, every single member of my family that matters has gone through this, Lucius, and now that family calls.”

It was an age old argument for the most part, except this time something new was coming. Narcissa heard the faint flap of wings first, and then she saw the familiar head of hair that signified Andromeda.

“Narcissus, sister dear, we can’t tally any longer now!”

Narcissa smiled, gracefully stood to her feet, and brushed past Lucius.

“Androgyn,” she greeted, planting a kiss to her sisters cheek. “Ah, and you brought the little chick with you!” Narcissa glanced over the teenager who sulked beside her mother dressed in some sort of muggle fashion. “Your clothes suit you dear,” she said, and the girl looked rather surprised. “Why don’t you go find your little cousin and get him ready to leave, hm?”

Lucius looked ready to protest, intending to step in front of the metamorph and the doorway, his brow furrowed in fury at the sight of blood traitors in his house. That is until a sing-song cry came from the foyer.

“Cissy~! Oh darling Cissus~! Where _are_ you~!” Andromeda smirked.

“It looks like Bella has arrived, right on time,” she said, before calling out. “We’re in here Bella!”

Little Nymphadora looked so shocked to see Bellatrix enter the room, followed by her husband and brother-in-law.

“Ah, there you are, Cissus~!” Bella cheered, quite happily pulling her sister into a hug. “Why aren’t you ready yet?”

“I need my dragon first. The little chick was about to go and get him.”

Lucius slowly began to turn red in apoplectic rage, especially at the sight of three prisoners of Azkaban.

“Well do hurry, we can’t leave our Lord waiting now can we~?” Bella hummed happily. She glanced to Lucius. “Boys, do take care of that one, will you? Then we’ll be on our way I think.”

The brothers smirked.

“With pleasure,” said Rabastan. He and Rodolphus grabbed Lucius by the arms and dragged him from the room. Nymphadora glanced between the sisters, sighed, and skulked off to find her little cousin. They left not even five minutes later.

* * *

 

Barty had no mind of his own. Not anymore. He sat most days curled up in his room with his loyal elf Winky while his father went off to work, suffering under the strain of holding the curse over his son for so long. Not that Barty minded, the more strained the old man became attempting to contain one of his power, the more Barty pulled himself back from the depths.

It was very slow work, and probably wouldn’t culminate for another four to five years, and so Barty had no mind of his own. This was why Barty didn’t recognize the letter that came for him, although Winky did and Winky put it aside when Barty showed no interest in reading the thing. It went into a corner to collect dust.

Except not even two hours later there came a crash upon the roof and suddenly two convicted felons, the Lestrange Brothers, slipped into the room. They looked to Winky and rolled their eyes.

“We won’t hurt the little one,” Rabastan said as Winky took a defensive stance before her Master’s Son.

“No, he’s been hurt enough,” Rodolphus closed his eyes in sadness. “Wizardlings,” he added in disgust.

Winky relaxed ever so carefully. She recognized that word, Mistress Charis used to use it. Mistress Charis who was a Black. She peered at them both, bit her lip and wrung her hands.

“Yous is Blacks?” she asked. “Yous is protecting Blacks?”

The brothers exchanged a glance.

“Our mate is a Black,” Rodolphus said.

“We’d follow her anywhere,” Rabastan agreed. They glanced to Barty. “She’s the one who felt him.”

“Yous protecting Blacks?” Winky repeated. The exchanged another glance.

“We’re going somewhere better and safer than here,” they said after a minute. “Does that work?”

Winky nodded. She snapped her fingers and looked to Barty who blinked, slowly, as his mind came back to him. She looked back at the surprised brothers. Winky grinned viciously.

“Mistress Charis would be appalled at what Master Barty does to Master Barty,” she said simply. “Yous protect Master Barty now.”

Winky disappeared with a crack. The brothers exchanged a look and then shrugged.

“House elves,” they muttered.

* * *

All around Britain varied but not dissimilar actions were taking place. Alphard Black, brother to Walburga, packed his bags and got a portkey to Tokyo quietly off of the goblins. Cedrella Weasley packed up any heirlooms and just disappeared in the night. The siblings Caractacus and Elizabeth Burke vanished, leaving behind Mr. Borgin to care for Borgin and Burke’s. Meanwhile, in Japan, news headlines were exploding about the return of an ancient and old prominent family, the Burakku clan, to their ancestral shores.

 


	6. We May Be Dark, But We're Still Family

_It started with just us, you and me._

_Then we slowly added others, and somehow turned a group of thieves and liars and murderers into a (questionable?) functioning family (I think?)._

_Then I messed up and left you alone. And you're probably going to kill me (a second time) for that. And now I have a (sort of) human body (for now), and somehow-_

_(And I promise I have no clue how this happened! I swear on your sexy silver tails!)_

_-I ended up right back where I started. With a mostly (not really) functional (psycho) family of thieves and liars and murderers._

_I'm not positive, but I think this is karma nipping me in the wingtips for that time I stole all of your clothes and blamed it on Yomi just so I could watch you run around naked trying to strangle him with your rose whip._

_Which makes a lot more sense than it should._

* * *

All headlines could talk about for weeks was the return of one of Japans' oldest known lines of nobility. The Burakku clan had entrenched themselves deep into the countries history, first appearing as the first Emperors' shinobi. For their sacrifices in the Emperors' name and under his command they were named a noble clan, one that -still to this day- somehow managed to cling to the shadows of obscurity. It had shocked the country when three centuries ago the clan packed up every member -from the oldest elder to the youngest newborn- and left. The government and few remaining noble families panicked, how could the Burakku leave? They never received an answer until last month when the current head of the clan -one Burakku Kaemon- sent a letter delivered by a larger than average crow stating that the clan was returning, and could be reached at their ancestral lands once they finished moving in.

* * *

The first to arrive at the large compound of houses was Alphard, the oldest "Black" family member inhaled the scent of mountain air and sighed softly. He had truly missed this being in England. The sound of someone Apparating filled the air causing him to turn. Well, that and a loud cry of-

"Alphy~!"

-coming from the statuesque woman approaching with a wide grin. Rich auburn hair fell in thick waves to her waist and steel-blue eyes glinted with mischief. Alphard smiled back and happily embraced her.

"Cedrella! Sweetheart, I haven't seen you since we started that hysterical little fight a century back."

"Didn't you hear Alphy, it actually started a blood feud. I couldn't believe that little blond French twit actually took you seriously. Declared right in the great hall in front of everyone that 'weasels aren't to be trusted'. I had to leave the manor I was laughing so hard."

"I knew that line went wrong somewhere. Just goes to show you that pigeons will do everyone a favor and breed themselves out eventually."

"Too true dear Alphy."

Another 'crack' and the heavy scent of earth and wild plants filled the air drawing their attention to the newest arrivals. A willowy woman with soft brown hair was slowly walking towards the duo, held protectively in her arms was a child with dark brown hair but sharing her intense green-gold eyes. She smiled at the boy kissing his head when he waved shyly to the other pair before hiding in her loosely braided thigh length locks. When she spoke her voice was soft and delighted.

"Alphard, Cedrella, it's wonderful to see you both. This is my little fauntling, the only one I felt worthy of taking with me. He'll need a new name, his original one isn't worth mentioning. Disgusting little witchling, stupid name really. Honestly my sweet little sprout had better sense than that."

Alphard and Cedrella shared an amused grin as Callidora descended into mumbled comments against her most recent offspring's bad choices.

"Calli, honey you're mumbling again."

"Oh, I apologize Alphard. You know how I get."

"Of course, do you know when the others are arriving?"

"I'm afraid not. Cedrella?"

"Nope~! I got the letter and took off. I can't stand my descendents. All of my carefully cultivated talents and not a single lick of sense on how to use them. I have one or two who are close, but we'll see if they muster up to anything useful. If only my precious Gideon and Fabian had lived~! They were perfect~!"

Cedrella displayed her rapid mood swings by falling into tears against Alphard's shoulder, wailing about her 'widdle Giddy and Fabbie' being taken away too soon and how much she hated snakes with bad taste in names. Naturally after being exposed to her particular branch-line's madness, her companions promptly and easily ignored her to continue on with their conversation about who would be next to arrive. A thunderous crash and the sound of maniacal laughter answered them and even halted Cedrella as all three deadpanned-

"The Sisters Three."

-and sighed shaking their heads in exasperation. The mentioned women came up the path, two of them bickering good naturedly as the third continued to cackle. Following behind was a pre-teen looking girl sporting spiked pink hair carrying a blond child who was actively trying to kick her. Stopping before the group the women composed themselves and bowed deeply to Alphard.

"Elder Alphard, we the Sisters Three greet you."

"I accept your greeting and extend my own. Welcome home Sisters Three."

"Great~! Formalities are over, Narcissus introduce me~!"

"Of course Drella. This is my chick Draco, and Androgyn's chick Nymphadora."

Another loud crash had Belladonna dancing with delight and running over to a pair of males who were either twins or siblings who looked eerily alike supporting another male in-between them. Callidora made her way over to inspect the fallen male, who on closer inspection was obviously still only a teen, brushing sweaty sandy blond hair from a flushed face. Black eyes were hazy and unfocused as she inspected his condition further.

"Cedrella, help me take this one to the medical room."

"Of course Calli."

The two easily lifted the boy -even with Callidora still holding her child with one arm- and carried him to the house. Meanwhile Bella had tackled the other males to the ground and was sitting in their laps while they nuzzled her hair crooning at how much they loved the new blonde hue making her laugh.

"I changed it to match you two!"

"And we love it."

"We really, really do love."

"By the way Uncle Alphard, that would be cousin Charis's chick, and they are Bella's mates."

"Rastaban and Rudolf of the Wraith Coven Lestrange."

All eyes turned to the smug looking Bella as she lounged against her boys.

"Yes, be jealous. My boys love mayhem and bloodshed just as much as I do."

Everyone just turned away, deciding not to even touch that statement. Narcissus quickly counted who was there and compared it to the letter.

'Uncle Alphard, me, Androgyn, Belladonna, our chicks and her mates, Aunt Callidora and her chick, Aunt Cedrella, cousin Charis's chick…who is missing? Cousin Belvina, but she's dead so it will have to be her chicks.'

"Have Belvina's chicks arrived yet?"

"No not yet Narcissus dear, I believe they will be the last to arrive today. Kaemon won't get here until tomorrow. He has something to finish up in South Korea."

"Very well. How much longer until they arrive?"

"Right now dear cousin."

The speaker was a female arm in arm with a male sharing her appearance. Both had dark brown-black hair, -his tied at the base of his neck, hers in a coiled braid pinned into a bun- and hazel eyes. Alphard moved to hug them with a smile.

"Caractacus! Elizabeth! My favorite little hunters! I've missed you!"

"We've missed you too dear uncle. And I'm going by Elisheva now; new country, new start."

"Of course my sweet girl. We have quite a few new names to hand out, but that'll have to wait until the Head of the family arrives tomorrow."

"Yes dear uncle Alphard."

Slinging his arms over their shoulders Alphard led his family members into the main house. There was still so much to do and so little time to do it. But that didn't matter. The family was finally back together under one roof. He was one happy crow.


End file.
